Science Fiction-Double Feature
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: "I never thought I'd see the day you prance around in your underwear and get paid to do it."


******Science Fiction-Double Feature**

******Rifiuto: Non Mirena**

******Summary: "I never thought I'd see the day you prance around in your underwear and get paid to do it." **

She looked up. The lights were bright, and as she looked out at the audience, her eyes landed on the people that mattered most- sitting in the front row. Her mom leaned against her father, he took her mom's hand and kissed it. Her mom grinned at her, her eyes alight with enjoyment-

The chords began to play, and after several minutes, she took a deep breath, and began.

_"Michael Rennie was ill_  
_The Day the Earth Stood Still_  
_But he told us where we stand_  
_And Flash Gordon was there_  
_In silver underwear_  
_Claude Rains was The Invisible Man"_

The young woman looked beautiful, dressed in a black, full skirt with black tights, a pink jacket and matching pillbox hat. Her long black hair was down in ringlet curls, and the uneven skirt brushed against the backs of her legs as she walked the length of the stage, stopping every so often to turn to the audience. The screen behind her projected some very familiar words- words the older woman knew and indulged in in her teenage years,_ long_ before the girl onstage had ever been born.

_"Then something went wrong_  
_For Fay Wray and King Kong_  
_They got caught in a celluloid jam_  
_Then at a deadly pace_  
_It Came From Outer Space_  
_And this is how the message ran..."_

Even now, she smoothed the black skirt of her maid's uniform, lacing her fingers with his, feeling the lace gloves on her hands bunch beneath her palms. She chuckled silently to herself. The fact that she could get so into something so... ridiculous... was just a testament to how little exposure she'd had to 'normal' things as a child. They sat so close, she could see the microphone at the girl's lips, though it really wasn't needed; her voice rang loud and clear throught the theater. Had you told any of them years earlier, that they'd be here, watching her make her debut as Magenta, they'd have laughed. But now-

They watched her with pride, her family- and those she considered her family- all with excitement in their eyes.

_"Science fiction double feature_  
_Doctor X will build a creature_  
_See androids fighting Brad and Janet_  
_Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet_  
_Wo oh oh oh oh oh_  
_At the late night, double feature, picture show"_

She could hear the other cast members 'oohing' offstage, and it gave her the courage to continue the length of the stage, before turning to watch the screen. She turned back to the audience at the beginning of the next verse, and once again, caught their eyes. The spotlight followed her, illuminating her like a dark-haired angel. Her hands moved in fluid motions as she sang, much in the same way that her mom's hands worked as she cleaned and cared for her guns.

_"I knew Leo G. Carroll_  
_Was over a barrel_  
_When Tarantula took to the hills_  
_And I really got hot_  
_When I saw Janette Scott_  
_Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills"_

She caught the look her parents shared as she ran her hand over her breast and down her stomach towards her thighs- a twinkle was in her father's eye, and her mom gently smacked him, but even she couldn't hide her grin. Her uncle was blushing in embarrassment, and the look on his face only gave her more confidence. Her dark eyes landed on her father, and he squeezed her mom's hand, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She knew the look in his eyes; it was a look she'd seen more than once, directed at her, at her mom, at her aunts and uncles plenty over the years.

_"Dana Andrews said prunes_  
_Gave him the runes_  
_And passing them used lots of skills_  
_But When Worlds Collide_  
_Said George Pal to his bride_  
_I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills_  
_Like a..."_

He was proud of her, she knew it. Not that he'd never been, but he'd never really understood her pull to the theater- and musical theater at that. He knew that her mom's dream had been wanting to be a dancer- a dream she'd been forced to give up after her own mom died when she was eight. He knew that she'd always longed to regain that part of her that had wanted to dance; motherhood, marriage, work had all gotten in the way, and she'd once again pushed her own dreams aside, to allow her daughter to follow hers.

_"Science fiction double feature_  
_Doctor X will build a creature_  
_See androids fighting Brad and Janet_  
_Anne Francis stars in Forbidden Planet_  
_Wo oh oh oh oh oh_  
_At the late night, double feature, picture show"_

Her eyes locked on her mom, as an image of a church began to appear on screen behind her. She looked around at the rest of the audience, becoming lost in the song she was singing, in the thrill of being onstage-

But as her gaze returned to her parents, she felt a pang of guilt. Her mom had given up so much for her; cast aside her own dreams of fame onstage for a life in the military awards and war, that had eventually turned into life in a small town of scientists, first as the deputy, and now as the Head of Security. She'd watched her child rise in the ranks of the musical theater world, and, she wondered, if her mom ever envied her for her success. But then, at that moment, she knew that all her mom held for her was pride.

_"I wanna go -_  
_To the late night, double feature, picture show_  
_By R.K.O. -_  
_To the late night, double feature, picture show_  
_In the back row - Oh oh oh oh_  
_To the late night, double feature, picture show"_

She finished the song, and as the lights began to come down, she heard her parents cheering the loudest. With one last glance towards the audience, she rushed offstage with the blackout.

* * *

A knock at her dressing room door pulled her gaze from the gloves she was pulling off. "I never thought I'd see the day you prance around in your underwear and get paid to do it."

She turned in her chair, to see exactly who she had been longing to see since the show began. She brightened, climbing to her feet and throwing her arms around the older woman. "You came!"

"Of course we came, Uca. Do you really think we'd have missed your big debut?" She blushed, stepping back to take a good look at the older woman's outfit. She wore a red corset and a black skirt, with black fishnets with bows and heels. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a braid, and she wore a pair of fingerless gloves. Just as she opened her mouth to comment on her outfit, she was pulled into another hug.

"Magenta! You were awesome!" Her older sister cried, pulling away after a moment and taking her face in her hands. The woman wore an outfit similiar to the one Columbia had worn, except with a familiar white button down open over it, her own dark hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She knew where her sister had lifted the shirt from- their dad's closet.

"Thanks. I was really nervous."

"You didn't even appear nervous." The three turned, to see the Sheriff and his wife enter, their close friends behind them. A moment passed, before her dark eyes searched for the two people whose opinion mattered most.

"Are they here? Did they come? I... I thought I saw them in the audience, but I couldn't be sure..." She pushed past the two, going to the door and poking her head out. Her hope fell, and she turned, going back into the room. "Oh well, I... I guess they left early. I... I didn't think they'd... stay anyway. It's probably not their thing-" She stopped, feeling a pair of small hands go over her eyes. She could hear soft laughter, followed by someone telling the person laughing to shush. After a moment, she reached up, removing the hands from her eyes and turning. Her mom smiled at her, her eyes bright with excitement. "Mama? Daddy?" She didn't wait for a response, instead, she threw her arms around her mom, burying her face in the familiar dark hair. "You came!" The older woman laughed softly.

"Of course we came. We wouldn't miss this." She pulled away to stare into her child's eyes. The younger woman quickly skimmed her mother's outfit, before going to her father. She knew her dad wouldn't have dressed up- it wasn't his thing, and he wasn't as into this as his wife was, but even so, it was wonderful that he came.

"We're so proud of you, Luca, you did wonderfully." He said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She pulled away.

"Thanks, Daddy." Zane Donovan chuckled, reaching up to brush the tears off his daughter's cheeks.

"What's'a matter, baby girl?"

"Luca, why are you crying?" Jo asked, reaching out and laying a hand over her daughter's cheek. She shook her head, unsure of how to respond. Eventually, she shrugged.

"I'm just... glad you came." Her mother gave her a big smile, her nose wrinkling.

"We wouldn't have missed this for the world, baby girl." She wrapped her daughter in a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple. A moment of silence fell, before Luca pulled away.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you, baby?"

"Because I became a performer and you didn't. You wanted to be a dancer and you gave it up." Jo shook her head.

"No, baby, I'm not mad. If I'd never given it up, I'd have never come to Eureka, and I'd never have met Daddy. I wouldn't have ever had you or your sisters. So no, I'm not mad, and I'm not sorry I gave it up. I gave up being a dancer so I could star in... the biggest performance of my life."

"What's that?" Luca asked, as Jo brushed another tear away. Jo gave her a soft smile.

"Being your mother." Luca looked to her sisters, both of whom went to their father.

"Really?" Jo nodded again, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Really." The girl buried herself in her mom's arms, laying her head on her mother's shoulder, as Jo held her tight. "I'm so proud of you, Luca."


End file.
